This book discusses the current state and future perils of nuclear proliferation and the failure of the Special Commission of the United Nations to eliminate Iraqi weapons programs. Richard Butler, the former head of that commission, argues that the world will soon be engaged in a second arms race more dangerous than that of the Cold War, and that drastic preventative steps need to be taken. In Butler’s opinion, the United States needs to take the lead in the effort to eliminate nuclear weapons, and he has harsh words for George W. Bush’s administration and missile defense plans. The final chapter lays out a strategy for the United States to follow to reduce nuclear weapons worldwide. The preface ties the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 to the book’s arguments.